Respiratory Vapor Shield Insert for Sports Masks or Headgear

ABSTRACT

A device for inserting into a sporting equipment (such as a helmet or headgear) of a sport participant (such as a player, coach, or official) and for attaching to the face-guard of the sporting equipment, where the device has a body made of durable and pliable material that is suitable for inhibiting droplets emitted from the participant from escaping the sporting equipment to reduce the spread of airborne illnesses, and where the body of the device has recessed portions intended to maintain the unobstructed sightline of the participant during gameplay.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/042,122, filed on Jun. 22, 2020, and entitled “Breathing Shield Insert for Sports Masks or Headgear.” Such application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Baseball is one of America's greatest pastimes, sometimes even referred to as America's National Pastime. And it's no wonder nearly 70 million fans attended major league baseball games in 2019 and an estimated 25 million kids play baseball or softball every year—with the sounds of vendors selling hot dogs and popcorns, the roar from the crowd during the seventh inning stretch, and the cold drinks and warm sun, baseball is a sport that everyone can enjoy. But when a viral outbreak occurs, like the coronavirus outbreak of 2020, sports like baseball are thrown a curve ball, and in some cases, are even thrown out completely, as government officials cancel group sports in fears of the spread of the virus as players come in close contact.

While some have pitched using existing products as precautionary means for reducing the spread of a virus so that athletes can play ball, in reality, existing personal protective equipment (PPE) products have continued to strike out. The most basic remedy that many leagues have implemented is a requirement that players and umpires wear basic cloth face masks, like those that would be used in medical settings, or like those that were worn in shops or offices during the coronavirus outbreak. Unfortunately, these masks, while arguably helpful for limiting the amount of respiratory droplets that enter the air when a player or umpire coughs or sneezes, are not practical for use in warm or hot baseball weather. The masks are often difficult to breathe in and for umpires or players who wear glasses, fogging caused by the masks may result in limited visibility (an umpire who misses the call on a well-placed pitch due to foggy glasses is still going to hear it from the crowd). Others have tried to utilize face shields, which can be placed over the umpire's headgear to keep respiratory droplets from entering the air. These products also have limitations, most notably with regard to the thin plastic material's (which is necessary to keep suitable visibility) inability to withstand the force that may occur when a wild pitch hits the umpire or when a player slides into a base, ultimately cracking the protective face shield. Further, in some cases it has been found that the use of the thin plastic material shields typically covers the player's eyes and may be bothersome or reduce the player's ability to see clearly.

Similar problems have also been experienced in other sports, including football, softball, hockey, and many others, particularly those that require close contact among players. A durable product that can be fitted into a player's, umpire's, or other participant's equipment (such as helmet or headgear) that allows for adequate visibility and adequate breathing while also reducing or eliminating the spread of respiratory droplets into the air is needed.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a personal protective equipment (PPE) insert for installation or positioning inside the mask, helmet, or other headgear of athletes, officials (such as umpires), coaches, and other participants of sporting events. The term participant may be used to describe these different users. While it is understood that the insert can be utilized in any number of sports and any number of masks, helmets, or headgears, and by any participants in such sports, for purposes of describing the invention the insert may be described with particular references to the sport of baseball. Likewise, the mask, helmet, or other headgear in which the insert is said to be installed may be generally referred to herein as the “equipment” of a sports participant for purposes of simplifying the description thereof. Thus, generally speaking and using these particular example references for ease of description, the insert may be described as a one-piece molded respiratory shield that conforms to and attaches inside of the equipment of a participant of a sport. In the preferred embodiment, the insert attaches to a face-protecting cage of the equipment (where the cage is generally the portion of the equipment positioned in front of and shielding the participant's face and/or mouth) to serve as a barrier to the respiratory droplets expelled by the person wearing the equipment. Likewise, the insert is intended to provide some relief to the participant (and other participants) by acting as a barrier as the person breathes behind the insert. The insert is preferably constructed of hard but heat pliable material, which is cut to a pattern or template corresponding to an inside shape of the equipment (and can be modified to fit to many types of equipment) and positioned inside the equipment to cover the mouth portion of the equipment while leaving the eye portion of the equipment free-and-clear for maximum visibility.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and appended claims in conjunction with the drawings as described following:

FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of the respiratory shield insert of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side prospective view of one embodiment of the respiratory shield insert of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of one embodiment of the respiratory shield insert of the present invention inserted into one embodiment of a sport equipment suitable for use with the respiratory shield insert.

FIG. 4 is a front view of one embodiment of the respiratory shield insert of the present invention inserted into one embodiment of a sport equipment suitable for use with the respiratory shield insert.

FIG. 5 is a schematic showing one embodiment of the respiratory shield insert of the present invention, flattened for purposes of describing the invention and suitable for use as a template for preparing the respiratory shield insert, and having an absorbent material positioned on the surface thereof.

FIG. 6 is a schematic showing one embodiment of the respiratory shield insert of the present invention, flattened for purposes of describing the invention and suitable for use as a template for preparing the respiratory shield insert.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Generally speaking, the present invention is directed to a device for installation inside the equipment of a sports participant, the insert made of a hard but pliable material that acts as a barrier between the mouth of the sports participant and the space outside of the equipment such that respiratory droplets emitted by the sports participant are at least partially or substantially prohibited from dispersing into the air outside of the equipment, thereby reducing the risk of contaminating the surrounding air with respiratory droplets containing a virus or other infectious disease or condition.

As noted, the insert 2 of the present invention is intended to be installed or positioned inside the equipment of a sports participant. As noted above, the term equipment may refer to a mask, helmet, or other equipment worn by a sports participant, where a sports participant may be a player, coach, or official of a sporting event. Equipment most suitable for receiving the insert 2 of the present invention are those that have some sort of face-guard structure, such as a cage 16 that is often found on an umpire mask 12, a typical design for which shown, for example, in FIG. 3, or face mask 16 covering the face on a football helmet 13, a typical design for which is shown, for example, in FIG. 4. While it is understood that the specific shape of a single embodiment of the respiratory shield insert device 2 of the present invention may correspond specifically to a particular type of equipment, it is understood that the functional components and functionality of the insert 2 is substantially the same regardless of the sports equipment in which the insert 2 is intended to be used. In this regard, for example, it may be seen that the design of the insert 2 shown in FIG. 6 is more appropriate for a sports equipment having a face-guard 16 similar to an umpire mask 12 (as shown in FIG. 3, which incorporates the design of the insert 2 shown in FIG. 6) while the design of the insert 2 shown in FIG. 5 is more appropriate for a sports equipment having a face-guard 16 similar to a football helmet 13 (as shown in FIG. 4, which incorporates the design of the insert 2 shown in FIG. 5). In any event, the functional components and functionality of the insert 2 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are substantially similar despite their different shapes, with only minor functional differences. With this in mind, it is understood that a respiratory shield insert 2 having these designs, or having different designs but similar functionalities, can be utilized in various types of sports equipment and not all shapes may be shown specifically in the drawings. Nevertheless, the types of sports equipment suitable for use with the respiratory shield insert 2 can be described generally as below.

As shown in FIG. 3 (umpire mask 12) and FIG. 4 (football helmet 13), the types of sport equipment most suitable for use with the respiratory shield insert 2 of the present invention include a portion that fits around the wearing participant's head to secure the equipment to the head (which may be used, for example, to protect the participant's head from impact injuries), and a portion that guards the participant's face and/or mouth such as a face mask or cage that primarily is used for protecting the face from impact by a ball, puck, or other item of extreme velocity during gameplay. This portion used for protecting the participant's face may be referred to herein generally as a “face-guard” 16 of the equipment. Of course, because the player must be able to see and breathe during game play, the face-guard 16 of the equipment generally includes large cutouts or empty spaces. Still, in order to prevent a ball, puck, or other item from injuring the participant's face, the face-guard 16 may have cross-bars or similar features for stopping any items from entering the equipment. For purposes of the present invention, these types of equipment are most suitable for use because the respiratory breathing insert 2 of the present invention can easily be attached to (and detached from) the face-guard 16 for use during play and cleaning or sanitization after play is complete, providing a particular advantage over existing masks and shields that are either disposable masks that cannot be reused or permanent features of the equipment that cannot be removed for proper cleaning.

The respiratory shield insert 2 is intended to be inserted into the space covered by face-guard 16 of the equipment and attached to the face-guard 16 of the equipment for use during game play. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the insert 2 may be attached to the face-guard 16 of the umpire mask 12, or as shown in FIG. 4, may be attached to the fac-guard 16 of a football helmet 13. The insert 2 includes a body 4 made from a sheet of hard but heat pliable material that is cut to a pattern, preferably using a premade template (such as those shown in FIGS. 5-6) and heated and vacuum-shaped to a pre-designed mold of the face-guard 16 of the equipment in which the insert 2 is to be used. The pattern, template, and mold, of course, may be selectively determined according to the type of equipment in which installation is desired, allowing the insert 2 to be suitable for any number of different types of equipment styles and face-guard 16 styles. Once vacuumed shaped, the insert 2 is removed from the vacuum and allowed to cool. The insert 2 is then ready to be attached to the appropriate equipment. Eye location recesses 8 in the outer perimeter of the body 4 may be utilized in order to form to the face-shape of the participant and provide an unobstructed view for the participant, allowing for a clear sightline during gameplay. It may be seen, then, that the solid body 4 of the insert 2 remains positioned to cover the mouth of the participant but the eye recesses 8 do not cover the eyes of the participant. In this regard, emitted droplets can be captured by the solid body 4 while eye recesses 8 allow the participant to see.

Furthermore, the nature of the durable but pliable material used to construct the inset 2 allows the user to make minor adjustments to the insert 2 as needed using an at-home heating device (such as a hairdryer, for example), allowing for minor modifications to the shape of the inset 2 to create a better, custom fit with the user's personal equipment. The better fit to the equipment allows the inset 2 to make a continuous seal inside the user's equipment, particularly where the equipment includes padding (such as foam padding typically found in a football helmet). The insert 2 is attachable to the equipment using straps 14 to tie the body 4 of the insert 2 to the face-guard 16 of the equipment. The straps 14 may be integral to the equipment, or, alternatively the straps 14 can provided with the insert. The straps 14 may be Velcro straps, allowing for easy attachment and detachment of the insert 2 from the equipment. Alternatively, clips, ties, or other attachment means can be used. In the preferred embodiment, one or more slits 6 are positioned in the body 4 of the insert 2 allowing straps 14 to be threaded through the slits 6 and around the body 4 of the insert 2 and the face-guard 16 of the equipment, removably attaching the inset 2 to the equipment for use during gameplay. Preferably multiple slits 6 and multiple straps 14 are used at different parts of the body 4 of the insert 2 so that the insert 2 can be more securely attached to the face-guard 16. It should be noted, of course, that because the face-guard 16 of the equipment typically sits a short distance from the user's face, the respiratory shield insert 2 does not directly rest on the user's face like a traditional cloth or paper PPE mask. This allows for easier breathing and higher comfort for users during the warm or hot temperatures of many sports. Additional holes or slits in the respiratory shield insert 2 may be utilized to further facilitate easy breathing if desired.

To facilitate the type of barrier necessary to prevent the spread of virus through respiratory droplets, but to keep the insert 2 suitable for breathability, durability, and flexibility as described above, the preferred material for construction of the insert 2 is a thermoplastic acrylic-polyvinyl material such as kydex. Kydex is a material used for thermoforming fabrication, thus allowing the insert 2 to be thermoformed, even by using a 3-D printer. The properties of the material give the insert 2 rigidity and formability, toughness, and chemical resistance. Other notable advantages include that the insert 2 is waterproof, scratch resistant, and holds its shape better under normal conditions. Thus, the insert 2 presents strong advantages over the presently available cloth or paper masks that sit directly on the face.

In one embodiment, the insert 2 may be constructed from a transparent, but durable, material in order to better increase visibility if desired. In any event, the material, no matter whether opaque or transparent, is preferably of a durable, non-porous material that can easily be disinfected between uses to allow the insert 2 to be used multiple times, or if necessary, even by multiple different users. In one embodiment, one or more soft and/or absorbent materials 18 may be attached to the inner surface (the surface positioned toward the participant's mouth) of the insert 2 to allow for better absorbency of respiratory droplets and thus reduction of droplets into the air, as shown for example in FIG. 5. The absorbent material 18 may be removably attached to the insert 2 so that it can be washed or replaced between uses. The absorbent material 18 may be attached, for example, via Velcro for easy attachment and detachment between uses. Further, the absorbent material 18 can be positioned on only a portion of the inner surface of the insert 2 (such as shown in FIG. 5) or may take the same general shape of the body 4 of the insert 2 such that absorbent material 18 is positioned along substantially all of the inner surface of the insert 2.

While the inset 2 allows for better breathing because it does not sit directly on the participant's face like traditional PPE masks, because the insert 2 still sits very close to the participant's face (and because the insert 2 has been formed to the specific equipment worn by the participant), during heaving breathing of gameplay, and should the participant cough or sneeze, the insert 2 still serves to capture many of, or at least a portion of, the respiratory droplets emitted by the participant. Furthermore, while widely used PPE masks require attachment around the head or ears of the user, which could be uncomfortable or burdensome to sport participants, the insert 2 of the present invention does not require attachment to the participant, which increases the comfortability for the participant. Furthermore, the short distance from the participant's mouth reduces or eliminates the problem with fogging glasses caused by cloth or paper masks that attach to and rest directly at a user's face. Furthermore, the slight distance between the user's mouth and the inset 2 solves another problem with traditional PPE masks that must be solved for sports use—traditional masks tend to muffle the voice of the user while the insert 2 allows for unobstructed speaking.

Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, a limited number of the exemplary methods and materials are described herein. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein.

All terms used herein should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. When a Markush group or other grouping is used herein, all individual members of the group and all combinations and subcombinations possible of the group are intended to be individually included. All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the extent that there is no inconsistency with the disclosure of this specification. When a range is stated herein, the range is intended to include all sub-ranges within the range, as well as all individual points within the range. When “about,” “approximately,” or like terms are used herein, they are intended to include amounts, measurements, or the like that do not depart significantly from the expressly stated amount, measurement, or the like, such that the stated purpose of the apparatus or process is not lost.

The present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred and alternative embodiments that are intended to be exemplary only and not limiting to the full scope of the present invention, as set forth in the appended claims. 

1. A respiratory shield insert for removably attaching inside a sporting equipment and useful for reducing emission of respiratory droplets of a participant from the sporting equipment, the insert comprising a body made of a durable and pliable material capable of being conformed to a face-guard portion of the sport equipment such that the body is operable to shield the mouth of the participant and such that one or more recesses in the body correspond to a sightline of the participant, thereby allowing the insert to capture at least a portion of the respiratory droplets emitted by the participant while maintaining visibility for the participant.
 2. The insert of claim 1, wherein the sporting equipment is headgear.
 3. The insert of claim 1, wherein the sporting equipment comprises a football helmet.
 4. The insert of claim 1, wherein the sporting equipment comprises an umpire mask.
 5. The insert of claim 1, wherein the durable and pliable material comprises a heat-pliable material.
 6. The insert of claim 1, wherein the durable and pliable material comprises a thermoplastic acrylic-polyvinyl chloride material.
 7. The insert of claim 1, wherein the body is formed using a 3-D printer.
 8. The insert of claim 1, wherein the durable and pliable material comprises a transparent material.
 9. The insert of claim 1, further comprising an absorbent material removably attached to an inner surface of the body of the insert, wherein the absorbent material is operable to capture at least a portion of the emitted respiratory droplets.
 10. A device for attaching to the face-guard of a sporting equipment, the device comprising: a. a body made of durable and pliable material capable of being conformed to the face-guard of the sporting equipment; b. one or more slits in the body operable to receive a strap, wherein the strap is operable to removably attach the device to the face-guard of the sporting equipment; c. one or more recesses positioned along a perimeter of the body, wherein the one or more recesses correspond to a sightline offered by the face-guard of the sporting equipment; wherein the body of the device is operable to inhibit the release of respiratory droplets from the sporting equipment when the device is attached to the face-guard of the sporting equipment and wherein the one or more recesses are operable to maintain visibility from the sporting equipment when the device is attached to the face-guard of the sporting equipment.
 11. The device of claim 10, wherein the sporting equipment is headgear.
 12. The device of claim 10, wherein the sporting equipment comprises a football helmet.
 13. The device of claim 10, wherein the sporting equipment comprises an umpire mask.
 14. The device of claim 10, wherein the durable and pliable material comprises a heat-pliable material.
 15. The device of claim 10, wherein the durable and pliable material comprises a thermoplastic acrylic-polyvinyl chloride material.
 16. The device of claim 10, wherein the body is formed using a 3-D printer.
 17. The device of claim 10, wherein the durable and pliable material comprises a transparent material.
 18. The device of claim 10, further comprising an absorbent material removably attached to an inner surface of the body of the device, wherein the absorbent material is operable to capture at least a portion of the emitted respiratory droplets. 